Television - Dec. 20, 2001

TELEVISION

CBS Tops DuPont Broadcast Awards

CBS was the big winner in the annual Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University awards in broadcast journalism. There was also local recognition, as Los Angeles’ KCBS Channel 2 was honored for Randy Paige’s series about lead paint in California.

CBS’ “60 Minutes” was cited for a report on political instability in Pakistan; “CBS Evening News” was recognized for reporting on the National Security Agency and for Steve Hartman’s whimsical reports on everyday folks.

CNN’s Nic Robertson was honored for a profile of Sinn Fein education minister Martin McGuinness, while ABC News won for “24/7,” a series about Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins Medical Center. Two PBS shows, “Nova” and “Frontline,” also made the list, for shows on genetically altered agriculture. And Court TV won for a documentary on a minor’s forced confession to police.

MOVIES

‘Beautiful Mind’ Leads Critics’ Nominations

“A Beautiful Mind” led the way in the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. Critics’ Choice Awards, with nominations for best picture, actor (Russell Crowe), director (Ron Howard), supporting actress (Jennifer Connelly) and screenwriter (Akiva Goldsman).

“Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” will compete for best picture, director, composer and song, while “Ali,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “In the Bedroom” and “Moulin Rouge” earned three nominations each.

Nominations for best picture made for television are “Band of Brothers,” “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows” and “The Mists of Avalon.” Winners will be announced on Jan. 11 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Other film critics’ awards announced this week include the Boston Society of Film Critics, which chose David Lynch’s enigmatic thriller “Mulholland Dr.” as best picture and the San Diego Film Critics Society, which opted for “Ghost World,” Terry Zwigoff’s offbeat tale of two teen friends dealing with real-life issues.

Roberts the Favorite Movie Star, Poll Says

For the first time in its 11-year-history, a woman--Julia Roberts--tops the Harris poll’s list of favorite movie stars. She was followed by Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Sean Connery.

The poll, based on an online survey of 1,065 adults in early November, found that Roberts was first with women and Latinos and shared first place with Ford in the key moviegoing crowd of people aged 18-29. Hanks led the field among men and whites. Denzel Washington, who was eighth overall, was No. 1 among African Americans.

QUICK TAKES

Kirk Douglas is back home after spending three days in a Los Angeles hospital last week with a blood infection.... The National Endowment for the Arts has approved a grant to the Berkeley Repertory Theatre to produce Tony Kushner’s “Homebody/Kabul” in the spring. The request had been put on hold pending further investigation.... The Florida Orchestra has withdrawn its lawsuit against Arista Records demanding royalties on the re-release of Whitney Houston’s rendition of the national anthem. Leonard Stone, executive director of the orchestra, says that the two parties are working to resolve the matter.... Musical America reports that opera legend Beverly Sills will step down as chairwoman of the Lincoln Center board of directors when a new president is named.

Elaine Dutka